Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach unveils seven-concert season with extras

Celebrating its 13th season, the Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach will present seven wide-ranging programs featuring acclaimed chamber musicians as well as three special events.

Concerts will be held at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, and the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach.

“In our 2025-2026 season in Palm Beach, we are excited to take our audiences on a journey through music both familiar and new,” Artistic Director Arnaud Sussmann said. “This season we will trace a path though joy, reflection, virtuosity and innovation. I look forward to bringing our audience the inspiration and deep connection that is unique to every CMSPB concert.”

The first concert, set for Nov. 20 at Bethesda-by-the-Sea, is “Joyful Beethoven.” It will feature Beethoven’s radiant Septet, Nielsen’s playful Serenata and Strauss’ mischievous Till Eulenspiegel. Featured artists will be Arnaud Sussman on violin, Brian Isaacs on viola, Nicholas Canellakis on cello, Nina Bernat on bass, Gina Cuffari on bassoon, Alex Fiterstein on clarinet and David Byrd-Marrow on horn.

Grammy-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux will join the group’s strings for a journey from Haydn’s refinement to Paganini’s virtuosity and Boccherini’s Spanish flair on Dec. 11 at the Norton. The “Lush Guitar” concert will include Joseph Haydn’s “Quartet in D major Hob. III:8,” Niccoló Paganini’s “Trio Concertante,” Luigi Boccherini’s “Fandango,” Astor Piazzolla’s “Histoire du Tango,” Manuel de Falla’s “Suite Populaire Espagnole,” Heitor Villa-Lobos’ “Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5″ and Radamés Gnattali’s Sonata for Cello and Guitar.” Featured artists will be Jason Vieaux on guitar, Arnaud Sussman on violin, Tessa Lark on violin, Milena Pajaro-van de stadt on viola and Edward Arron on cello.

For the first concert of 2026, flutist Sooyun Kim will lead an ensemble through elegant works by Telemann, Purcell, and Couperin Jan. 22 at Bethesda-by-the-Sea. “Golden Baroque: The Luminous Flute” features Johann Gottlieb Janitsch’s “Quartet,” Henry Purcell’s “Sonata No. 6 in G minor,” François Couperin’s “L’espagnol from Les Nations — Sonade, Passacaille,” Georg Philipp Telemann’s “Paris Quartet No. 1” and Jean-Féry Rebel’s “Les Élémens.” Featured artists will be Kenneth Weiss on harpsichord, Sooyun Kim on flute, David Requiro on cello, Alexander Sitkovetsky on violin and Grace Park on violin.

On Feb. 26, the Chamber Music Society presents “Charm and Reflection: Mozart + Dvořák” at the Kravis Center. Cellist Gary Hoffman will lead distinguished artists through Mozart’s brilliant Duo and Dvořák’s richly expressive Piano Quartet. Featured pieces will include Mozart’s “String Duo No. 2 in B flat major, K. 424” and Dvořák’s “Piano Quartet No. 2 in E flat Major, Op. 87 (B. 162).” Performing artists will include Arnaud Sussman on violin, Paul Neubauer on viola, Gary Hoffman on cello and Chloe Jiyeong on piano.

“Fire & Form: The Ehnes String Quartet” will be presented March 18 at Bethesda-by-the-Sea. The Ehnes Quartet with Arnaud Sussmann will perform Beethoven’s emotional quartet, Schubert’s virtuosic Rondo and Mendelssohn’s energetic Quintet. The program will feature Ludwig van Beethoven’s “String Quartet, Op. 18,” Franz Schubert’s “Rondo in A major for Violin and Strings, D 438” and Felix Mendelssohn’s “String Quintet No. 2 in B flat Major, Op. 87.” Featured artists will include Arnaud Sussman on violin, James Ehnes on violin, Amy Schwartz Moretti on violin, Brian Chen on viola and Edward Arron on cello.

Pianists Wu Qian and Juho Pohjonen journey from Bach’s brilliance to Sergei Rachmaninoff’s volcanic Symphonic Dances on two grand pianos as part of “Double Forte: Two Pianos” on April 9 at the Kravis Center. The program features Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Passacaglia in C minor,” Mozart’s “Fugue in C minor,” George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” and Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances.” Featured artists will be Wu Qian on piano, and Juho Pohjonen on piano.

The season will close April 23 with “Carnival of the Animals” at The Norton. In this performance, Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Carnival of the Animals” — the composer’s beloved animal portraits in music — meet a newly commissioned work from Michael Stephen Brown, celebrating endangered species. Featured artists will be Kristin Lee on violin, Arnaud Sussman on violin, Paul Neubauer on viola, Orion Weiss on piano, Nicholas Canellakis on cello, Michael Stephen Brown on piano, Tara Helen O’Connor on flute, Jose Franch-Ballester on clarinet and Ian Rosenbaum on percussion.

Subscriptions and memberships to the 2025-26 season are available at www.cmspb.org/subscription. Single tickets also are on sale.

Special events

The Chamber Music Society also will host three special events this season. “Humor and Harmony Returns,” scheduled for Nov. 6 at the Kravis Center, will feature celebrated cellist Nicholas Canellakis and award-winning pianist-composer Michael Stephen Brown; “Rising Artists in Concert,” scheduled for Jan. 10 at the Norton, will showcase emerging talent alongside mentors Arnaud Sussmann and Edward Arron in the culmination of the organization’s mentorship week; and “Rhapsody in Blue,” scheduled for Feb. 4 at the Kravis Center, which invites guests to “step into the Roaring Twenties” with Gershwin’s iconic “Rhapsody in Blue,” Milhaud’s jazz-inspired “La création du monde,” and works by Prokofiev, Price and Ravel. Featured artists will be Orion Weiss on piano, Jose Franch-Ballester on clarinet, Benjamin Beilman on violin, Arnaud Sussmann on violin, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt on viola and Estelle Choi on cello.

Invitations to the Gala Concert will be mailed in late November. For more information, call 561-379-6773.